What is best source of copepods to feed mixed reef tank?

[Keith Burns]

I have a 90 gallon mixed reef tank with 140 pounds of live rock and a 20 gallon refugium. The only thing in the refugium is a softball sized clump of chaeto.
I have a cooper banded butterfly fish who is doing well, and want to add a mandarin.
I have read on top of food for picky fish and corals copepods are good at eating detritus and cleaning your tank.

What species of pods should I be looking for?
Where should I buy them?

I was looking at Polylabs which sell bottles of tisbe and tigriopus pods separately for $25 each.
Then I saw AlgaeBarn had several options that looked better.
Ultimate Ecopack $100
5280 pods and OceanMagic $60
Ecopack Pod Phyto Combo $70

I don't mind spending the money to do it right, but don't want to waste it on the wrong stuff.

One other question on my refugium, should I have mud in it?

I also have an 18 watt uv light that runs 12 hours starting at lights out, will it kill my pods?

 

[BornHandy]

I can't help on the species, but I will say that a mature refugium is a huge source of pods. UV will have little effect on your pod population, and the mud is a matter of preference.

A chaeto ball is a fantastic pod habitat. have a look with a flash light when the lights are out. You will probably see them on your glass if there is a small algae film on it (assuming your tank has a little age on it).

As for keeping enough for a mandarin, details like your substrate can matter as well. A more "rubble" like substrate will hold a truckload of pods in a display tank once mature.

 

[lilgrounchuck]

I put 2 bottles of Tisbe and one bottle of tigger in my tank in June and they’re crawling all over everything at night. I also wound up with a bunch of amphipods that must have come in something. They’ve flourished, don’t mess with anything in the tank, but as soon as the poke their head out they get munched on. I don’t have a mandarin so I can’t judge the impact it would have, but in my 50 everything has thrived in the display. I also recently moved from having a sump/fuge with a bunch of chaeto to an hob set up and haven’t noticed any change in the population in the rocks of the DT. If you’re worried, seed the tank with a few bottles at night (pumps off) and then wait a few months for the population to take hold.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

I have a 90 gallon mixed reef tank with 140 pounds of live rock and a 20 gallon refugium. The only thing in the refugium is a softball sized clump of chaeto.
I have a cooper banded butterfly fish who is doing well, and want to add a mandarin.
I have read on top of food for picky fish and corals copepods are good at eating detritus and cleaning your tank.

What species of pods should I be looking for?
Where should I buy them?

I was looking at Polylabs which sell bottles of tisbe and tigriopus pods separately for $25 each.
Then I saw AlgaeBarn had several options that looked better.
Ultimate Ecopack $100
5280 pods and OceanMagic $60
Ecopack Pod Phyto Combo $70

I don't mind spending the money to do it right, but don't want to waste it on the wrong stuff.

One other question on my refugium, should I have mud in it?

I also have an 18 watt uv light that runs 12 hours starting at lights out, will it kill my pods?

With this much rock and the sized refugium, you should be able to get pods blooming in no time. I would really recommend going with the Ecopack Pod Phyto combo (a double pack would be ideal for your size). Our new genus of copepods (ointhona) that is in the ecopods is the most prevelant copepod in the ocean. They multiple fast and are abundant. These pods have seeded 10,000's of tanks, and there is a reason we are one of the largest suppliers of copepods in the hobby. We guarantee you will be satisfied.

You are fine with the UV, you won't be able to pump a significant population through the UV to kill the pod population.

Mud won't affect copepod density in the refugium. If you are planning on some mangroves, its nice, but otherwise, I wouldn't bother. I would rather recommend rock or biomedia over mud.

One of the big no-no's when introducing copepods is filter socks. Remove them for atleast a few days (if you get your refugium working properly, you shouldn't need them at all).

 

[Keith Burns]

what is the ultimate ecopack all about? Are the two PNS bottles more for the corals?

 

[Jeeperz]

I vote for reef nutrition pods.

 

[Firedawg1983]

I just ordered from pod your reef. 2nd or third time ordering from them. I ordered 2x Tisbe, 2x Tigriopus, 3x phyto for half off. If your interested in getting them I think I have a coupon for 50% off rotifiers

 

[Keith Burns]

I ordered the ecopack pod and phyto combo from AlgaeBarn. I will post my thoughts about it shortly after I get and use it.
I just looked at your posting about podyourtank. Looks like a good site, I might check them out next time around.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[Kenneth Wingerter]

how's the ecopack?

 

[Terri Caton]

With this much rock and the sized refugium, you should be able to get pods blooming in no time. I would really recommend going with the Ecopack Pod Phyto combo (a double pack would be ideal for your size). Our new genus of copepods (ointhona) that is in the ecopods is the most prevelant copepod in the ocean. They multiple fast and are abundant. These pods have seeded 10,000's of tanks, and there is a reason we are one of the largest suppliers of copepods in the hobby. We guarantee you will be satisfied.

You are fine with the UV, you won't be able to pump a significant population through the UV to kill the pod population.

Mud won't affect copepod density in the refugium. If you are planning on some mangroves, its nice, but otherwise, I wouldn't bother. I would rather recommend rock or biomedia over mud.

One of the big no-no's when introducing copepods is filter socks. Remove them for atleast a few days (if you get your refugium working properly, you shouldn't need them at all).

I didn't know about the Ecopods. I'm going to get them in my monthly order!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Tisbe pods

 

[Super Fly]

I've bought pods from @hollback as have plenty of folks from R2R, great pods with great prices. He's so popular u may have to get on waitlist. As far as mud in refugium, its up to u. Pods like to hide in rocks & chaeto.

 

[Keith Burns]

Update on my order Ecopack Pod Phyto Combo $70 from AlgaeBarn.

I received my order quickly. After I let the bottle warm to room temperature I could see a lot of activity in the bottle. The pods were quite tiny, but active. I then floated the bottle in the refugium to equalize temperature. I then poured the pods directly into my ball of Chaeto in my refugium. I added 30 ml of the live phytoplankton Ocean Magic nightly into the refugium until it was all gone.
It has now been over two weeks and I see no evidence of adding any pods at all. When I have added pods in the past I would see them on the glass walls of the refugium. I'm not sure what happened here, but not happy with the outcome.
I may try the 5280 pods combo from AlgaeBarn or possibly Tisbe Pods from Podyourtank.
I'm open to any incite or suggestions.

Thanks.
Keith

 

[NJDragonet]

I would say trigger pods I have those same fish and I stocked my tank up with triggers

 

[Tom Blevins]

Copepods, Amphipods, Macroalgae, Phytoplankton, Live Coral Food

Marine Aquaculture facility specializing in mass culture of Copepods, Amphipods, Phytolankton, Macro algae, saltwater feeder shrimp and many other saltwater organisms.

www.aquaculturenurseryfarms.com

 

[subielover]

Check out poseidon reef systems, they make a very cool pod and phyto culturing kit. Was thinking of going down this path myself.

 

[ckalupa]

Check out poseidon reef systems, they make a very cool pod and phyto culturing kit. Was thinking of going down this path myself.

it’s a great system. Have had mine a couple months and now feed live phyto nightly and fresh pods every 10 days. Easy system to use.

 

[Topekoms]

https://aquariumdepot.com/ is where I got mine its really the only thing I buy from them but I setup my tank in end of November and I have pods all over the place. Any time I setup a new tank that is where I get mine.

 

[lapin]

........... I'm not sure what happened here, but not happy with the outcome.
I may try the 5280 pods combo from AlgaeBarn or possibly Tisbe Pods from Podyourtank.
I'm open to any incite or suggestions.

Thanks.
Keith

I have used Reef Nutrition, Pod Your Reef, 5280 AlgaeBarn, The Pod Mix from AquariumDepot. They all worked for me.
If you want to see bigger pods the AquariumDepot mix is the way to go. They come in filter pads which means you have to let the pad sit in your aquarium or sump for a while so will crawl out.

 

[vangvace]

I added a few different sources of pods for my 175G:
IPSF pods and small inverts from their mix and match
Reef Nutrition pods and rotifers
Algaebarn pods and phyto
and the BOGO deal from Aquarium Depot.